A new life

[Brian Mc]

Greetings Brothers,

Rob, too bad things fell through with Handan i think you would have liked it there.  Also did you get in contact with Joyce at Linkesl?  She will keep looking for you to get you a position until you accept one so she is a very good resource at no cost to you.

Also as always if there is anything Zhen or I can do feel free to ask and we can see what we can do.  As you say when one door closes over here at least on more opens so I think you should do fine.  Just be prepared for absolutely everything to be different than in England and you should be fine.  Look at it as an adventure and not a search for a new life and lady and things will work out.  I think the hardest thing is going to be the language.  Its tough to speak to store clerks and such when they speak no english, although I have had help from passing people who spoke a little english trying to help out.  They really are a friendly and helpful people.

Also remember all the advice about the water.  Do not drink or even brush your teeth with the tap water.  Drink bottled or boil water in your apartment and then bottle it from empty bottles you have used.  That way you alway have some water that is safe.  The last thing you want is to get sick before you get set up with a job.  Also I hope you remembered to get in touch with your bank and tell them not to block your cards when you are in china.

Also from my experience, when you use a bank machine use a bank of china one if you can.  While some of the other banks can be used, the allowed limit of cash is lower than the bank of china.  Since you pay a fee when you withdraw from them it makes sense to withdraw the maximum you can and only pay one fee instead of taking out several smaller amounts and paying the same fee several time.  All the bank of china machines I have used give you an english language option so banking is easy.

Also I hope you dont get too much culture shock from the apartments here.  While they are often the same size as you may be used to they do not have central heat or ovens and in fact Zhen cooks almost everything in the wok and uses one pot for making soup type dishes, and of course the rice steamer.  No roast beef or turkey for you but let me say Zhen is a marvel in the kitchen.  Even the simplest ingredients turn into a fine tasty meal, and I never ate chinese in my life until I came here.  The only things I really miss is decent coffee and real milk.  While my local supermarket has milk like I am used to it seems its always past dated, so make sure you also check the expiry dates on products before you buy.  Real coffee like I am used to in Canada I have not seen yet although there is apparently a huge wal mart here which is an american store so there is hope still. while on the subject of coffee i discovered there is not even a Starbucks here, while they are everywhere in Beijing and Handan.  Weird.

So anyway best of luck on your leap of faith and hope to see some positive updates soon.

Sincerely,

Zhen and Brian

[Voiceroveip]

Good luck Rob, have a safe journey, watch your wallet!

Brian, I didn't know they had coffee in North America ^_^ Star-who? Hehe, no seriously, go to an appliances shop there, you'll find plenty of coffee machines. There is one brand (Wanshida) that copied the expensive Jura Swiss espresso machines, whole beans and water and press a button, the result is excellent. I was going to import these but couldn't because of patent infringement . They're expensive though, about US$ 200, but better than the original at 700€. You should find coffe (ground or beans) in any large supermaket, the French chain Carrefour for instance if there is one where you are.

[Scottish_Rob]

Well guys I went and gone and did it.................I'M HERE IN CHINA.....And too be honest I never thought I would do it, I was so scared of starting up again, but, I'm here now so I am doing it and going to live the dream hopefully...

I started my trip at midnight on Saturday night, my mate Davie who I have known for 30 odd years drove me to Manchester airport.  He done this at this time because I thought my flight was at 6am, but you've guessed it, it wasn't til 8am so I had an extra long night in the airport lounge:huh:  I found some of the airport workers to be unhelpful:huh:  As this was my really first flight I expected to be lead bt the hand through the different stages, but that ws not how it was done.  I got to Heathrow, London at just after 9 and my next flight was at 11.30 on Sunday morning which was taking me to Hong Kong.  Then I had another 3 hour stop over before my final plane trip to Qingdao.

when I was in London I suddenly thought, these planes are enormous, we fill them up with fuel, passengers (all sizes and shapes) and their bags and cases..  A question came to my mind HOW THE FECK do they TAKE OFF...It is certainly a miracle???  While in London waiting for the plane i got talking to a young lady from Beijiing and we had a right laugh together.  While in Hong Kong I got chatting to a lady from Jinan and we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses.  God I'm just out my home country and I've picked up a phone number already, so it looks good:icon_cheesygrin:

Once I was flying into Qingdao, my first reaction was I saw how large the place was, I though...WOW what the feck have I let myself in for...it has taken me from Midnight Saturday til 1.40 on Monday to get here, I am exhausted but in good shape sort of!!1Anyway I was a little apprehensive in case there was no one at the airport to pick me up.  But this was not the case, Jennifers sister and husband were there to meet me.  They had paid and organised a hotel for me, which has also got a computer and internet free, so this is good.

While we were driving to the hotel Jennefer phoned her sister an asked to speak to me.  We are meeting up at 11 tomorrow and they are taking me for lunch, and then going to her office to be shown around, so that is quite good.  In the car on the way to the hotel I kept getting all the reminders of what the guys were saying about the driving, haha and they are right!!!   Wht I really did not expect to find was the WOW factor so early on.  My first reaction to the place is, i could not live here, especially after seeing all the work thats going on all over Qingdao, and at the apparent poorness of the people.  it reminded me of some slums in Glasgow.  But I'm sure I will get over my initial shock.  Haha two people walked into each other when I was out getting water and some shopping today, you guessed it, they were staring at me and banged into each other, so I laughed my head off, and the thoughts came back to me about what the giuys had said about people starting at you.

Any way, I'm now going to see if I can get a sleep now befor going out for some DUMPLINGS later...

[chen yan]

While in London waiting for the plane i got talking to a young lady from Beijiing and we had a right laugh together. While in Hong Kong I got chatting to a lady from Jinan and we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses. God I'm just out my home country and I've picked up a phone number already, so it looks good. Haha two people walked into each other when I was out getting water and some shopping today, you guessed it, they were staring at me and banged into each other, so I laughed my head off,.

Welcome rob, , I think Qing dao is very cold now ,isn't it ?
See, so many funny thing happen to you although you just arrive China. I wish you have a good time in China !

Chen Yan

[Irishman]

Great read Rob, keep the updates coming. also try some "baozi" if you can, you can get small ones in the restaurants and big ones in most of the convenience stores, they are a bit like dumplings except round and are steamed. Absolutely fabbo! Looking forward to reading your updates as you write them.

[RobertBfrom aust]

Welcome to China , Rob , from now on enjoy the sights and sounds of your new home , regards Ying and Robert

[Willy The Londoner]

So Rob I get a text from London Heathrow and one from Hong Kong and then what happens.  You are so concerned with taking over my vacant title and collecting phone numbers that you don't call again. LOL

To be honest I was not sure if you would ever make it and  I wonder really if your hiding away in Barrow in Furness, changed your clock to China time and giving us a run down from what has been said in past months.  (Where the hell is Barrow in Furness )

 Oh dear another conspiracy theory on its way.

Seriously Rob I am glad you have joined us in the Middle Kingdom.  It is all Obama at the moment but now they have the Rob!!! ( I bet Obama has not taken the numbers of as many women as you have?LOL )  Anyway we know who is more important to us.  

It has been a long, and at times, harrowing road my friend but you can start living that dream from today.

And just remember - make it work cos its a bloody long walk back to UK from here.

Willy

[shaun]

I hate to go off subject here as it is something I almost never do.  Willy, is it possible since you know no strangers especially in China that you could keep Obama occupied there a while until we can the economy straightened out.  The would would thank you for it?

Shaun

[Scottish_Rob]

willy sorry I never got back to you.  I tried phoning tonighht because I needed your sinvery tongue but I had to wait until I was back at hotel to top up...LOL

I went out to look for a bar or pub and got ZILCH ended up at KTV asked almost everyone if they spoke English an could point me in the right direction hahahaha  Got many a laugh from those midddle Kingdom peole that cannot speak any English hahahaha

Ended up having 3 bottles of Qindao (famous) beer and had a nice time with a young lady singing for ages...her,... not me...hhahaha

Got an email this morning that I never knew about until tonight.  Will be going to teahc for a day ina school inQingdao, will know more tomorrow so here is hoping.

Seriously tho I have only been here hours and i am a stranger in a strange place, BUT I love it!!!

[shaun]

Rob,

Glad you made it there safely and enjoying yourself.  It is OK to come out from under the bed now, the coast is clear. :icon_cheesygrin:

I am waiting to hear more and hope all goes beyond your wildest dreams.

Shaun

[Vince G]

I'm glad you made it there. I knew it was the first time you were leaving your country but I didn't know it was the first time you were flying? It's been to many years since my first flight so it's hard to remember what I thought at the time? The first time out of my country I do remember and flying into a small French island in the Caribbean. When you said the poverty you saw reminded me of the same. But I made the best of it and met many people including a couple of actors that were big at the time. It was mostly Americans there and yet every time I turned around she was there? (actress)
So you never know.

It's all fresh and new now but in a few weeks you'll feel like you belong.

[RobertBfrom aust]

Blimey , next thing we will be reading is that Rob is turning Muslim so he can marry 4 pretty Chinese women  haha , thumbs up from us , regards Ying and Robert .

[Arnold]

My Scottish buddy , have you brought the Pipes ? These were to protect you of un-wanted situations .

So happy for you , to have made this leap of Faith . You are going to be a changed Man from now on ... China does that to you , right from the start .haha

I'm so waiting for further ( good ) news . Best of Luck !

[Voiceroveip]

Rob, you impress me! First flight, first new continent ... China is not the closest to Western culture! I'm glad you're enjoying it, you should write a diary, it will probably be worth publishing later!

Good luck, have fun, go get them!
A true admirer,
Frank

[Scottish_Rob]

Hi guys.
The reason I am writing this now is because I am not able to sleep at the moment, too much excitement...so thought I would give you a little snippet of some of the things that happened to me on my first day.:dodgy:

Well as you know I have the hotel booked, the hotel looks quite nice all PINK/SALMON in colour on the outside (LOL) and is called J66 Motel, Changyilu.  The room is very basic but nice and clean and surprise surprise, I have a western toilet:icon_cheesygrin:.  Everything I need is there, television (Chinese:huh:), kettle, computer, leather couch and bed, hehe no woman yet, but give me time eh Willy :angel:

Well I walked about the place no going far and spoke to a few people, they were all very helpful in their own way, all I could do was laughwhen I realised they could not understand what I was trying to convey.  MUST GET A TRANSLATOR MACHINE TODAY.

I kept asking people if they knew where a bar or pub was, finally it dawned on me to ask for a KTV place and I was promptly shown where THAT was...  I don't drink but decided that I must try the Qingdao beer, so I drank 3 bottles and felt quite merry lol.  It cost 8 yuan (80 pence) a bottle, and 29 Yuan (2.90 pence) for the room for an hour, where you play the music and sing or not.  Anyway this lady came in and asked me what music I wanted to hear, I let her decide.  However, I did ask her to play Wo ai ni :icon_biggrin:  We got chatting I told her my name etc and my age 52, she told me she was 21, the waiter said he was 24 (we wrote these down) I scrubbed out HIS age and wrote 34 he walked out in a huff (but laughing) and she laughed her head off, so this was a good start.  Maybe they cannot understand your language or you theirs, but with hand signals and expressions things are known between each other.  This was the place I encountered Chinese toilets, although not used it for a dump yet...

It came to me that everytime I asked for somewhere, they always wanted me to get food!!! They thought I was asking for that, I made hand signals like drinking and gurgling and mentioned Qingdao beer, they seemed to click on

Tomorrow (or today) should be interesting haha.

Welcome rob, , I think Qing dao is very cold now ,isn't it ?
See, so many funny thing happen to you although you just arrive China. I wish you have a good time in China !

Chen Yan

Yes Chet it is cold but not as cold as the UK...lol

arnold,
yes I intend having a good time.  The place will change me thats for sure...

Vince  I never realised just how poverty stricken this country is, and I don't think you will do until you come her and see for yourself, but on saying that they seem happy and contented with their lot in life.

Ronan, hehe today is the day for dumplings and those you mentioned hehe

Blimey , next thing we will be reading is that Rob is turning Muslim so he can marry 4 pretty Chinese women  haha , thumbs up from us , regards Ying and Robert .

Robert...ONLY 4....I wish lol:icon_cheesygrin:

Frank thanks for that mate, maybe who knows, it will be included in my book thats for sure...

Shaun MOI under the bed...YOU must be thinking of someone else hahahaha